I interviewed my mother last year (2017) and compiled her answers into a nice story form. I'm posting the intro here and will post the remaining chapters consecutively over the next week or so! Hope you enjoy hearing her views of the world, as far back as the 1920's!
INTRO:
Disclaimer: My mother did not consider herself a senior citizen until about 95 1/2. At least that is when she stopped gasping at others her age when they were doing something she didn't agree with, and asking "What are those senior citizens doing now?!" Could this be one of the secrets of life? Maybe so! - Anna Riley
Intro: Born Evelina Marzilli, on 2/22/1921 in Providence, Rhode Island, to Italian immigrant parents that started a new life in America in the early 1900s. Evelyn and her younger brother have outlived her parents and three older sisters. Though many loved ones were lost over time, she has many interesting stories and information on life in the early and late 20th century as well as changes she experienced through her lifetime presently in the 21st century.
Anna Riley is Evelyn's second daughter she had with her husband, the now late Joseph Sleszynski. Sadly, her first child, Janet, passed away at age 56.
On October 7, 2017, Anna interviewed her 96 1/2-year old mom to obtain some of the details of Evelyn's long life, especially the earlier years. Anna compiles the information in several chapters to give us some idea on how Evelyn lived with less technology for one thing, and maybe we can say, at some point, less of almost everything that most of us have now. Food, water, clothes, safety, and a roof over her head, the main priorities of life during her early years, and for many others that lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s, reflects in many of her stories.
As always, Evelyn speaks her mind and sometimes she can make you either laugh or not! Read on to hear more about a range of subjects from schools, family, working life, fashion, to even some of her views on politics. My how the world has changed over the last 96 years!
The first chapter will be posted next! Stay tuned.